


Dying Alone

by TDKeh16



Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompts [19]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, M/M, Mild Angst, Mostly Fluff, Weddings, family pressure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7989577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDKeh16/pseuds/TDKeh16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dex's younger sister is getting married and he's feeling the pressure from his family to settle down with a nice girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dying Alone

**Author's Note:**

> From the prompt: "It’s my younger sibling's wedding and my mother won’t shut up about how I’m going to die alone.”

"What's up, Buttercup?" Nursey grinned.

"Go to hell, Nurse. I can't fucking handle your shit right now."

" _Whoa_ ," Nursey said quietly, and opened his book. He closed it again immediately. Dex could be harsh, but they had been getting along much better lately. Something seemed to be bothering him. "Want to talk about it?"

"No."

" _Need_ to talk about it?"

Dex sighed. "My sister Elizabeth is getting married next month."

"Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning that before. What's the problem? Is the guy a tool?"

"No. He's great, just..." Dex sighed again. "I talked to my mom for 45 minutes this morning and I'm just drained, that's all. Sorry for snapping."

Nursey gave him a small empathetic nod. "Mother of the bride stress getting to her?"

"Maybe a little. More like 'when will I be mother of the groom' stress..." He sighed again for the third time in the span of a minute. "It's not my fault my younger sister is getting married first. What am I supposed to do? Find some random girl and elope with her before June so that she doesn't have to worry about me dying alone anymore?"

 _Whoa_. Nursey was relieved he didn't say it out loud this time. Dex had just unloaded a lot of information and he needed a moment to process it. "I... uh, sorry dude."

"What? You aren't going to tell me to 'chill' like usual?"

"No. Unless... Would that help?"

Dex laughed. It was a relief to Nursey's ears. "When has that ever been _helpful_ , Nurse?" 

"Well at least I got you to smile," Nursey said with a grin. Dex shook his head and his smile slowly faded and he fell back into his thoughts. That wouldn't do. Nursey stepped around the table and sat down at his side, putting one arm around his shoulders. "So. Dying alone, huh?"  
  
"Apparently."

"There are worse ways to go."

"Oh really? Like?"

"Dying after spending a lifetime with some random girl you married just to make your parents happy, for one."

Dex laughed again. "Yeah. Probably," he said softly.

"It's ch-- okay, man. You're only 21. Lots of time to worry about finding love and all that. I'm sure you're not going to be like, a disappointment or anything if it takes a few years. Lots of people don't get married until their late twenties now."

"Tell that to my parents. They got married when they were 19 and 20. It wasn't even legal for them to drink at their own wedding. My older siblings all married their high school sweethearts. Liz met her fiancé at summer camp when they were twelve and have been inseparable ever since... My little brothers have also brought girls around to meet the family... And then there's me. Never so much as a hint of a girl coming around in the six years I've been allowed to date. I _am_ a disappointment."

"Don't say that. Come on," Nursey gave his shoulders a small squeeze.

Dex rested his head against him, while Nursey tried not to react to the butterflies in his chest. Dex had given in and allowed a comforting hand on his shoulder plenty of times, but this was the first Nursey could remember when he actively leaned into it. "It's true. I'll never bring home some cute sweet girl like they want." He closed his eyes.

"You're amazing, Dex. You'll find someone equally amazing who loves you like crazy and your family won't care how long it took because they'll just be happy to see she makes you so happy," Nursey assured him. "Want me to set you up on some dates?"

He scoffed. "That's not gonna work, Nurse."

"You don't know--"

"I _do_ know, Nursey. I fucking know. I've never brought home a girlfriend because I've never _wanted_ one. I'm gay. I'm... _Fuck!_ " Dex brought one hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to somehow stop his sudden tears. It didn't work.

"Dex?! Shit! Come here!" Nursey immediately turned and wrapped him in a tight hug. "It's okay. So you bring home a nice boyfriend someday instead of a girlfriend. That's okay. You're still perfect."

Nursey, as antagonizing as he could be sometimes, was surprisingly comforting whenever Dex was upset. Whether it was over a bad game or a bombed test, Nursey somehow found his way there to help him through it. This time, however, was the first he had been a literal shoulder to cry on. Part of Dex felt embarrassed, but the other part of him was equally relieved to have Nursey by his side. "I'm going to let them down no matter what I do. Whether I bring home nobody, or bring home a man, either way... It's not what my big Catholic family is going to want."

"Then do what _you_ want."

"It's not that simple."

"I know, but, like... It kinda _is_. If you're so certain they will be unhappy with either choice, then at least pick the one you will be happy with. If you want to be some adorable old man with a bunch of dogs and a cute little vegetable garden, then cool. If you meet a chill guy and decide to spend your life with him, then that's cool too. As long as you are happy."

"A chill guy, huh? Like you?"

"Well, I mean... If that's your way of asking me on a date, I'm certainly not saying _no_..."

"You like me?"

"Oh course. What's not to like?" Nursey grinned and pressed a kiss to Dex's forehead, near his hairline.

"Well--"

"Shut up, Dex. That was hypothetical. You're perfect." He cupped Dex's jaw with one hand. "So... about that date?"

"Yes." Dex leaned in and kissed him. This was certainly not how he expected his day to go after that phone call from his mother that morning, but Dex was not complaining. "Hey... How do you always manage to find me when I've been having a hard day?"

Nursey shrugged. "We spend a lot of time together, I don't think it's so much 'finding' you as it is just being around and noticing the signs."

"Then how did you know I was in the library?"

"You weren't replying to any texts that C and I were sending you. I know how bad the reception is in this corner of the library that you like to go to, so... I figured I'd come check."

"You know me that well?"

"Well," Nursey said as he shifted closer. "There's always room for improvement..."

"Is that so?"

"I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better..."

Dex closed the distance between them with another kiss. "I'd like that." He smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> So many NurseyDex prompts to post haha! They're my most commonly requested pairing.


End file.
